Bishop Stuart University

Facility of Business and Development Studies

Department of Economics and Environmental management
Program: MSECM
Corse Unit: Organizational Theory and Practice
Submitted by: Abaho Enock Kategaya (kategayaenoch@gmail.com, +256701328453)
For: Dr. Abel Mucunguzi

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN ORGANISATION:

Summary

Every organization encounters conflicts on a daily basis. The conflicts cannot be avoided, but its possible to
manage them in a way that we recognize them on time. It is necessary to continuously track the
organizational signals which point to their existence. If we dont react duly, this can lead to the situation that
the conflict itself manages the organization. One of the more important determinants of productivity,
efficiency and performance, and finally job contentment is also the conflict as an independent variable of
organizational behavior. By systematic research of organizational behavior i want to make a positive
influence on dependant variables, but first we have to get a good insight into individual elements of
organizational behavior. By this paper, I want to brighten the meaning of conflict on the organization, the
conflict process and possible conflict management styles. I will show the relationship between the level of
conflict and the impact on the organizational performance. The here mentioned facts are also tested on the
research of conflict management styles.

Understanding conflicts

Conflicts are an everyday phenomenon in each organization. Conflicts are impossible to avoid, but it is
Possible to manage them in a way that we recognize the conflict symptoms in time. It is necessary to
continuously track the organizational signals which point to their existence. In case we do not react in due
time, this can results in a situation where the conflict itself manages the organization. Problems mostly occur
in organizations where results directly depend on collaborations, team work and creativity and where having
only results in mind, we tend to forget to take care of people and mutual relationships.
Disagreements which occur when goals, interests or values of various individuals or groups are incompatible,
and those people block each others each efforts for accomplishing goals is called organizational conflict.
Reduction of work performance efficiency, reduced communication among employees, motivation fall and
ultimate employees dissatisfaction are only some of the numerous negative consequences of conflict. But the
conflict itself does not have to be negative; the majority of conflicts can in fact be an excellent ground for
accomplishment of better business results, and an impulse for changes and growth of the organization its
self. Duly recognition and adequate conflict management can lead to a series of positive effects like
stimulation of creativity and innovation within the organization, stimulation of changes towards work quality
improvement, reduction of incurred tensions etc. Moreover, incase conflicts lead to constructive changes they
should be encouraged in order to make a good relations among employees based on mutual respect.
Sometimes, conflicts should be regarded as a resource which enables us construct new learning, new
knowledge and a potential growth and development of organization.
The employees directly involved in the conflict often dont have the opportunity to cope with the whole
situation or the impact of all elements in the given situation, mostly because of restricted ability for decision
making.

Conflict perceptions
Throughout the years there were times when conflicts were perceived in a different way so we distinguish:
Traditional view of conflict
Human relations view
Interactionist view
Following the traditional view of conflict in the 30s and 40s of the last century, it is believed that the
conflict is something bad, that it is destructive for the organization and that it should be avoided. It is
considered that the source of conflict is mostly the result of bad communication and lack of trust. According
to this stand point, one should avoid conflict, as well as people who make the conflict, so that the work
performance be satisfactory.
The main starting point of the human relations view is that the conflict is something natural which occurs
within every organization. This view is characteristic of the period between the 40s to the 70s of the last
century. It is considered that the conflict should be accepted, and that conflicts eventually can lead to better
work performance.
Interactionist view is still represented today, and is based on the approach, according to which conflict
should be encouraged, because, they tend to have positive effect on creativity and innovation

Irrespective of the different perceptions on conflicts, we can conclude that even today, people show an
attitude towards conflict in different ways. There still exists the conventional wisdom that a conflict is
something bad and should be avoided at any cost no matter if there are pieces of evidence to the contrary

Organizational Conflict

The discord that arises when goals, interests or values of different individuals or groups are incompatible and
those people block or thwart each others efforts to achieve their objectives. Conflict is inevitable given the
wide range of goals for the different stakeholder in the organization.

Effects of conflict on organization performance

Figure 1:1, effects of conflict on organizational performance

Stages of a conflict
Discomfort
John feels that his manager, Gerard, does not keep him informed of what is happening in the business. John
works primarily offsite with customers and can be away for long periods of time.
Incident
Gerard promotes Ann, John's colleague, based on her qualifications and experience.
Misunderstanding
John feels he missed out on the promotion he was expecting. He believes that this is because he is not based
in the home office on a full time basis and he has been treated unfairly. He becomes mistrustful and negative
towards his manager.
Tension
John's enthusiasm for the job starts to decrease. He does "what is necessary" to get by at work. His
commitment to the business is diminished. Gerard becomes increasingly frustrated by John's attitude.
Crisis
Gerard challenges John over a customer complaint, words are exchanged and tempers flare.
When conflict reaches a crisis stage, a lot of time and effort is needed to get it resolved. Too often we avoid
dealing with situations at the discomfort stage. We bury our feelings and don't discuss what is on our mind,
hoping that the situation will resolve itself. It is so much easier to communicate before resentment has started
to grow. As a manager, be alert to conflict in its early stages and take steps to prevent it from escalating. This
means being open to the other person's views, avoiding judgments and discussing until a resolution is
reached for both parties

Understanding why conflicts occur

Conflict can come from a variety of sources:

Figure 1:2, sources of conflicts

Different Goals and Time Horizons: Different groups have differing goals and focus. Conflict can happen
as a result of conflicting goals or priorities. It can also happen when there is a lack of shared goals.
Overlapping Authority: Two or more managers claim authority for the same activities which leads to
conflict between the managers and workers
Task Interdependencies: One member of a group or a group fails to finish a task that another member or
group depends on, causing the waiting worker or group to fall behind.
Different Evaluation or Reward Systems: A group is rewarded for achieving a goal, but another
interdependent group is rewarded for achieving a goal that conflicts with the first group.
Scarce Resources: Managers can come into conflict over the allocation of scare resources. Conflict can
happen when youre competing over scarce resources.
Status Inconsistencies: Some individuals and groups have a higher organizational status than others, leading
to conflict with lower status groups.
Personality conflicts. Personality conflicts are a common cause of conflict. Sometimes there is no
chemistry, or you havent figured out an effective way to click with somebody.
Styles. People have different styles. Your thinking style or communication style might conflict with
somebody elses thinking style or their communication style. The good news is that conflicts in styles are
easy to adapt to when you know how.
Values. Sometimes you will find conflict in values. The challenge here is that values are core. Adapting
with styles is one thing, but dealing with conflicting values is another. Thats why a particular business,
group, or culture may not be a good fit for you. Its also why birds of a feather flock together and why
opposites attract, but similarities bind.
By embracing conflict as a part of life, we can make the most of each situation and use it as a learning
opportunity or a leadership opportunity. We can also use it as an opportunity to transform the situation
into something better.

Types of conflict

Figure 1:3, Types of organizational conflict

Interpersonal Conflict: Conflict between individuals due to differences in their goals or values.
Intragroup Conflict: Conflict within a group or team.
Intergroup Conflict: Conflict between two or more teams, groups or departments. Managers play a
key role in resolution of this conflict
Interorganizational Conflict: Conflict that arises across organizations

Conflict management styles

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument
The Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument is a model for handling conflict:
The model organizes 5 conflict management styles based on two dimensions: assertiveness and
cooperativeness.
Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument

Conflict Management Styles

Here are the five conflict management styles according to Thomas, K.W., and R.H. Kilmann:

1. Accommodating This is when you cooperate to a high-degree, and it may be at your own
expense, and actually work against your own goals, objectives, and desired outcomes. This
approach is effective when the other party is the expert or has a better solution. It can also be
effective for preserving future relations with the other party.
2. Avoiding This is when you simply avoid the issue. You arent helping the other party reach
their goals, and you arent assertively pursuing your own. This works when the issue is trivial or
when you have no chance of winning. It can also be effective when the issue would be very
costly. Its also very effective when the atmosphere is emotionally charged and you need to create
some space. Sometimes issues will resolve themselves, but hope is not a strategy, and, in
general, avoiding is not a good long term strategy.

3. Collaborating This is where you partner or pair up with the other party to achieve both of your
goals. This is how you break free of the win-lose paradigm and seek the win-win. This can
be effective for complex scenarios where you need to find a novel solution. This can also mean
re-framing the challenge to create a bigger space and room for everybodys ideas. The downside
is that it requires a high-degree of trust and reaching a consensus can require a lot of time and
effort to get everybody on board and to synthesize all the ideas.

4. Competing This is the win-lose approach. You act in a very assertive way to achieve your
goals, without seeking to cooperate with the other party, and it may be at the expense of the other
party. This approach may be appropriate for emergencies when time is of the essence, or when
you need quick, decisive action, and people are aware of and support the approach.

5. Compromising This is the lose-lose scenario where neither party really achieves what they
want. This requires a moderate level of assertiveness and cooperation. It may be appropriate for
scenarios where you need a temporary solution, or where both sides have equally important
goals. The trap is to fall into compromising as an easy way out, when collaborating would
produce a better solution.
By knowing your own default patterns you improve your self-awareness. Once you are aware of your own
patterns, you can pay attention to whether they are working for you and you can explore alternatives. By
using a scenario-based approach, you can choose more effective conflict management styles and test their
effectiveness for you and your situations.

Strategies focused on individuals

Increasing awareness of the sources of conflict
Increasing diversity awareness and skills
Practicing job rotation
Using permanent transfers or dismissals when necessary

Strategies focused on the whole organization

Changing an organizations structure or culture
Altering the source of conflict

Other approaches
Negotiation
Parties to a conflict try to come up with a solution acceptable to themselves by considering
various alternative ways to allocate resources to each other
Third-party negotiator
an impartial individual with expertise in handling conflicts
helps parties in conflict reach an acceptable solution
Mediators
facilitates negotiations but no authority to impose a solution
Arbitrator
can impose what he thinks is a fair solution to a conflict that both parties are obligated to
abide by
Distributive negotiation
Parties perceive that they have a fixed pie of resources that they need to divide
Take a competitive adversarial stance
See no need to interact in the future
Do not care if their interpersonal relationship is damaged by their competitive negotiation
Integrative bargaining
Parties perceive that they might be able to increase the resource pie by trying to come up with
a creative solution to the conflict
View the conflict as a win-win situation in which both parties can gain
Handled through collaboration or compromise
As a Manger
Practice participatory decision making
Be aware of the interests of staff
Conduct regular meetings
Allow communication
Manage by walking around
Use feedback channels for example reading notes from suggestion box

Conflicts are natural and occur each day. They can be destructive if not handled well, but when well
managed, an optimum level of conflict is useful in organizations